Eidolons
by Cam277
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum finds himself drafted into a secret, ancient war to determine the world's fate.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Man I don't know how many times I've posted this and taken this down, but I honestly had the most shit time ever when I first started writing this - or maybe those were growing pains from joining fandom for the first time. Needless to say I was unprepared, and unsurprisingly inexperienced in dealing with the vicious anonymous reviewers I got back then. With XV's release just around the corner I thought I'd give this a shot again. Consider this writer scarred, but definitely wiser.

Feedback/Constructive criticism is welcome, if it strikes your fancy.

Anything that is anonymous that _isn't_ the aforementioned will be deleted.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

Eidolons were real.

Two weeks earlier the young prince would not have believed it. Then again, Noctis was only here to escape his father's expectations. Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII wanted him to take his responsibilities as heir seriously and Noctis still wanted to see the world. The end result: an ultimatum was issued. Either Noctis became a 'responsible' adult, or Regis would renounce him of his inheritance and the dynasty would be turned over to a distant relative; who, to add further salt to the wound, was an infant.

And then a plan came to him.

What if he could capture a legendary eidolon? Then his father could fawn over the magical creature, and forget about the whole ultimatum mess.

He wasn't expecting to find anything when he headed into the forest; just an excuse to get away from reality and responsibility for a few weeks. Or at least, long enough for the king worry, and take back the ridiculous ultimatum.

Fate, as they say, is not without a sense of irony.

* * *

A/N: Special thanks to **insouciance18**.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Noctis chased the stallion through the forest, avoiding low branches and unexpected roots that poked up out of the ground. The wind rushing through his hair was exhilarating, as was the adrenaline as it ran through his veins. For weeks his arrival in the forest had proved fruitless, and as the days passed, his supplies had drifted to an alarming level. Hunting was forbidden in Duscae if one wished to encounter the eidolon that lurked within. Noctis was determined to capture the creature, and so he stuck it out, only eating when he absolutely needed to in a bid to salvage his supplies.

Finally, when things had turned bleak, and the creature showed no signs of appearing anytime soon, he decided to head to the river for one last drink before heading home. Crouching by the water, he was just about to splash his face when he sensed something approach. He was glad he did not spring up suddenly, because if he had, he would have missed it.

He swallowed whatever water was left in his mouth and breathed quietly through his nose. His heartbeat had already begun to race, threatening to give him away at any moment. The sight of it was just too much for him to wrack his mind around. The legends depicted a large white stallion, larger than any normal-sized horse clad in white-gold armor and a saddle for the warrior that could tame it.

The creature shifted in the sunlight, catching rays upon its armor. Noctis was awestruck. Odin. Odin was real. The legends were true, and clearly they did not do the eidolon justice.

He rose slowly, quietly deliberating how he would capture the beast. Spear or sword? Gun or grenade? During his indecision, the creature's ears suddenly pricked up in awareness, listening and instinctively he held his breath. The only possible thing that could give him away now was the loud beating of his heart as it thudded heavily in his chest, as if he had been dead his entire life until this very moment. The pain in his thighs was starting to become unbearable. Perhaps if he shifted a little to the left-

 **CRACK!**

A twig snapped loudly beneath his boot.

The creature bolted.

"Shit!" Noctis yelled, almost like a madman. He tore after it in hot pursuit. There was no way he was going home empty handed. The creature was a lot faster than expected, and he found himself having to teleport every once in a while in order to recover the lost ground the creature was trying to create between them. He surged on, seeing the creature gallop ahead, and his eyes fell upon a clearing that they were fast approaching. He pointed ahead and just as they burst into the clearing he yelled at the top of his lungs: "Fira!"

The magic materialized powerfully in accordance with his will, exploding and creating a large thirty foot wall that cut off the creature from the rest of the forest. Odin reared on its hind legs, neighing in protest as it backed away from the flames. Noctis smiled. So the readings in his great grandfather's diaries were true, after all.

Centuries ago his ancestor had gone on a journey to hunt down the eidolon and bring glory to the family name. He succeeded, however, he had released the creature immediately afterward, claiming that the thrill of the hunt, not so much the glory, was what he wanted most.

 _Don't see why I can't have both._

He summoned a sword out of thin air and watched the creature as it turned back to him. The only way out was through the human. The stallion's efforts to gallop past were futile as Noctis managed to block it every time, shooting tiny balls of fire into its path, agitating it even further.

Eager to head home with his new prize, he drew the wall of fire closer, aiming to imprison the creature. To his surprise it stopped moving, stopped struggling, somehow realizing the hopelessness of the situation. It seemed to be watching him very carefully, eyeing the flames that danced in his hand.

Noctis could not help himself. "If I let you out are you gonna play nice?" he teased, laughing wickedly. The king would surely box his ears if he knew this was how he was treating Etro's creatures.

His laughter was cut short when the edolith began to glow, brighter and brighter until he had to shield his eyes from the intensity of it. The flames died away in his lack of concentration. When he was finally able to see again, he felt excitement and at the same time dread.

A knight now stood where the stallion had been. It towered at least thirteen feet tall, and in one hand it clutched an enormous double-bladed sword and a large round shield in the other. The flames had long died away, and its eyes held no irises, only a glowing light. Its mouth was unsmiling.

Noctis began to back away very slowly. Odin spun its sword menacingly in its hand as it continued to advance. Noctis took a step back every time it did. The ground shook, and echoed the beating of his heart.

 **THUD.**

 **THUD.**

 **THUD.**

"Truce?" Noctis offered, half-heartedly. Odin's eyes narrowed.

Noctis ducked just in time as its blade came swooping over his head and immediately began calculating his advantages: Odin was large and heavy. The heavy footsteps meant it could not move very fast. Added to that, was the weight of the sword and shield as well.

 _This'll be easy._

He concentrated, and vanished just as the eidolon swung out at him again, appearing in mid-air behind the creature. He raised his sword above his head, aiming to finish it off-for eidolons would only submit when they had fallen in battle-when it swiftly turned and fended off the attack.

 _Lucky break_ , Noctis decided, knowing full well it was the opposite. He concentrated, aiming for its back. Odin blocked the attack, easily. Noctis tried again.

And again (and again, and again). The tide quickly began to turn in the eidolon's favour. No, Noctis reasoned to himself, I never stood a chance in the first place. His throat started to feel dry and his muscles were slowly starting to atrophy. The breaths that escaped him became shorter and more laboured, and he soon found himself defending more than attacking.

A kick from Odin sent him hurtling into nearby trees and shrubbery creating deep gashes on his arms. He brushed them off. He knew they were nothing compared to what Odin was going to do with him. Too tired to dodge, his movements became sluggish, and he began to devote his energy to creating barriers around him. Odin hammered at them relentlessly, each time weakening Noctis' reserves of strength by a tremendous amount.

The barriers finally gave way and Noctis stood there exposed. As a final act of defiance, he looked the creature in the eye as it prepared to strike him down. He would not shy away from his demise; he would greet it face to face.

Suddenly, a loud screeching sound began to fill the forest. It was high-pitched and at a painful frequency that made Noctis cover his ears. He stared all around him, trying to determine where it was coming from him, until Odin gave out a feral growl. He quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a wild slash from its sword.

Odin shook its head vigorously to shake off the whistle ringing in its ears, and began to stagger about, swiping and slashing at everything around it, as if it had gone completely mad. Oak trees which had stood the tests of the elements were felled like they were mere matchsticks. Noctis hurried to a safe distance where he could watch the eidolon. There was a hissing sound as its weapons dissipated into crystal dust, before it finally collapsed to the ground. The whistling continued to reverberate in the forest for a few seconds more, before everything became silent again. Not being able to see through the tall grass, and overwhelmed with curiosity and excitement, Noctis ran right over.

But it was not Odin he found. Instead, lying in the grass, unconscious, was a woman. He knelt by her to examine her and it felt like his heart had begun to beat faster.

"Aaand she's beautiful. Of course she's beautiful," Noctis muttered under his breath. She appeared to be wearing a simple off-white robe, similar to the ones the priestesses in Etro's temple wore, but it was the brand glowing beneath the material in the centre of her chest that caught his eye.

 _L'cie._

The legends stated that the eidolons once held human form and this was a fact largely disputed among leaders in the different temples. There had been no proof of the claim, which had been made by Noctis' ancestor. Noctis himself had never believed in any of that...until now.

The woman groaned, before stirring awake. Her eyes suddenly flickered open, and she jumped to her feet, taking in her surroundings. He heard her mutter quietly in a language dead to him and his people for almost a millenium. She began to examine herself now, staring at her hands and feet, touching her face as if they were a stranger's and not hers. Her voice was heavily toned with confusion.

Noctis took this opportunity to speak:

"Uh…hey," he said. Well, what else was there to say?

She whirled around and glared. Her eyes, wary, intense, cyan eyes, seemed to bore right into and paralyze him where he knelt. Noctis saw nothing but questions until they suddenly burned with recognition. She probably recognized him as the human that tried to kill her.

Immediately she turned hostile. Electricity materialized and crackled in the air around her palm, which she pointed it toward him, demanding answers. Noctis held up his hands in surrender. Hopefully she understood that gesture. _I come in peace. Don't kill me please._

If it were at all possible, the woman grew even more agitated and continued to yell, stalking over and lifting him by the scruff of his collar with her free hand, holding the dangerous energy to his throat threateningly.

 _She thinks I'm toying with her._ Noctis shook his head. "I don't understand you."

Her palm lowered, and the energy fizzed out. Noctis landed onto his ass unceremoniously while she began to pace back and forth, muttering to herself. He kept where he was for fear that the l'cie should instinctively incinerate him if he moved. Finally, she appeared to have made a decision, coming back to him, expression determined. His heart started to race again. Would she kill him now?

He clenched his fists at his sides as she approached. Her eyes locked with his and she spoke, reaching out and placing both of her hands on the sides of his face. He shuddered a bit at the contact-her skin felt like ice. Noctis closed his eyes.

To his surprise, his head was tilted upward and she kissed him full on the mouth, turning all of his reason, his logic, his thinking-everything, to mush.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Instinct and the unexpected softness of her lips had Noctis leaning forward to prolong the contact, but just as quickly as the kiss had happened, it ended. She stepped back. Her expression was devoid of any emotion, but her tone was absolutely dripping in condescension. Noctis had a suspicion from the way she crossed her arms that it was something she did very often.

(The looks of pure judgement, not kissing, just to be clear. )

"Do you understand me now?"

"How did you-"

"The mouth is a medium in which language is spoken through. The intrusiveness however undesirable, was necessary. Sorry," she added, as if it were an afterthought.

 _Intrusiveness huh?_ Noctis thought, feeling his self-esteem take a hit from her words. He got up and dusted himself off.

"I want you to give me my powers back," he heard her say.

"Excuse me?" Was she giving him attitude as well?

"My powers," she said, glaring. "I can't hear Odin anymore. It's your fault: you caused this mess, you fix it."

"Hey, I didn't cast the spell that made you…" it was a little hard to gesture vaguely at her without making his staring obvious, but he managed "like this. And even if I did, it'd probably help your case if you weren't rude." He shrank back as she advanced on him.

" _I'm_ rude? Who was the one hunting me down?"

Fuck. "No one's seen an eidolon and lived to tell the tale. I got overexcited. It happens."

"So I'm rude because I acted in self-defence. Wonderful."

"No that's not what I—" she crossed her arms. "Fine. I'm sorry. For hunting you. I still can't help you either, so…sorry for that part too."

"Whatever." She stepped past him, looking around.

"What now?"

"Where is the nearest temple?"

"Why?"

"It's important and does not concern you."

Noctis shrugged and gestured…in the wrong direction.

"Thank you." She turned and started toward where he was pointing.

 _Wow she's actually…_ "Hey," he called, trying not to laugh. "Where are you going?"

"None of your business," came the curt reply. Noctis teleported, appearing a few steps in front of her.

"I asked you where you were going." She scowled and tried to pass but he blocked her each time.

"Out of my way."

"Answer my question first."

"Don't test me." Her right hand balled into a fist.

Internally Noctis wondered where his sudden spurt of courage came from. He was pretty sure he was on the verge of being electrocuted just a few minutes earlier. Maybe it was the fact that she could not assume the form of a two-hundred pound knight spirit that gave him courage.

He asked again, but this time less forcefully. "Why do you need to get to a temple?"

"I need guidance."

He held in a laugh. The temple was on a completely different continent. It would take her months. Assuming she did not run into the odd fiends and bandits who gave travellers a reason to turn to airships these days. "And you're going to walk all the way there."

"If I must."

"It's miles away," Noctis told her. He waited for the shock to register on her face but it didn't.

"Good day" she said. She pushed past him again, continuing on her way. Noctis frowned. Something did not sit right with him about her heading into the world alone. What if someone found out what she was? Then they would experiment on her or worse. And then it would be on his conscience.

"Wait!" He had to jog to catch up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder—

Big mistake.

She twisted before he could even react, and suddenly he was flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him, wondering what just happened. Her eyes were blazing. "Don't touch me."

He held up his hands. "Sorry. There's just something you needed to know."

"What is it?" she snapped.

"I wasn't clear enough. The temple I'm assuming you want to go to is a continent away across the sea. It can't be reached by foot….unless you're a good swimmer, which…you probably are?"

"There's no other option, is there?"

Noctis did not know what made him say, "I'll take you there," but he did.

She turned her head away from him and sniffed, as if doubting his ability. "I am perfectly capable of making the journey myself."

"I have no doubt about that," Noctis smiled, remembering their battle earlier. "But things are different now. The world is different from what you know it to be." She studied him warily from head to toe. "I don't know why you're so suspicious, seeing as you could kill me in the blink of an eye."

"That's _exactly_ why I'm suspicious. You know I could kill you—but you're still helping me."

Noctis groaned. She was still angry about that? "If this is about earlier-"

"You tried to kill me."

" _You_ tried to kill _me_."

"I wasn't even close to killing you!"

"Because of that weird whistle—which I know _nothing_ about," he added quickly, seeing the look in her eye.

"We will see about that, won't we?" she muttered. She gestured and he started walking. Eventually she came up beside him. Looking everywhere except in his general direction, of course.

"What's your name?" She slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. "What is it?" Noctis scanned the forest. "Is someone coming?"

"Lightning."

Noctis looked up to the sky. "Looks pretty clear to me." When he looked back at her, her expression was slightly downcast.

"Lightning is my name I…I don't remember my human name. I haven't been...human for…some time."

"But it'll come back to you, right?" He almost put his hand on her shoulder but managed to stop himself in time.

"In time." She glanced over. "And you are?"

Noctis thought of telling her his true lineage but decided against it. _One thing at a time._ She'd find out eventually. "Just Noctis. Noct, if you want. My friends call me Noct."

"I'm not your friend."

This was going to be a very long walk back to the car, Noctis could tell.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Lightning watched Noctis remove a plastic sheeting that had been covering a large, sleek black pod with wheels. He smiled at it, as if proud, then headed over to its side where a handle was. Retrieving a set of keys from his pant pocket he pressed a button built into one of them.

 **BEEP-BEEP**

The pod unlocked from the inside, and Noctis pulled on the handle. The first thing that she thought, seeing the cushioned seating was: a carriage? Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she moved closer (albeit warily).

"What is that thing?"

"It's a car," Noctis replied, not thinking much of it, but Lightning was fascinated.

" _Car_?"

"We use it to travel from one place to another. Sometimes continents if we have enough patience." He paused. "Um. Out of sheer curiosity, how long have you not been human?"

"Much too long for you to comprehend." She indicated to him with a finger. "Come here for a moment." His face was puzzled, but he walked over nonetheless. When he was in front of her she reached up and placed her hands on the side of his head. He swallowed nervously, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"You're…not going to kiss me again, are you?"

"Knowledge is learned and stored in the mind. All I have to do is concentrate and—" the human jolted as though a spark of electricity had shocked him "—it is done." She stepped away from him and turned to examine the 'car'.

"Audi R-Eight. Top speed 300 kilometres per hour, zero to a hundred in four seconds," she said, from what she had gleaned from him.

Noctis chuckled quietly. "Nice trick."

She glowered at him. "It's not a trick."

"No I didn't mean it like—" he let out a quiet chuckle to himself-"ah, never mind. Anyway, it'll probably be easier for you if we hide your brand."

"Why?" Lightning frowned.

Noctis went over to the 'boot' of the car and opened it. She watched him peel off his bloodied shirt and jacket slowly with a wince, and tossed them inside. Reaching in, he pulled out a large bottle of water, and started pouring it on his wounds.

Lightning's nose wrinkled at the smell. The water was stagnant and unclean, and this imbecile wanted to pour it on an open wound? She wrenched the bottle off him and emptied it.

"Hey!" he tried to reach for it, but she kept him back with her hand on his chest.

"Just wait!" she snapped. She forced him to lean against the car and focused on the empty bottle in her hand. _Water_ , she called.

While the bottle began to fill, she pointed to the large balls of cotton in the 'first aid kit' inside the boot. He passed it to her, watching with interest. She poured water on them and started cleaning his gashes, wanting to knock him for every time he winced or asked if she could be 'a bit more gentle'.

"Pass me the antiseptic." Noctis did. "I'm a knight, not a healer," Lightning told him as she started dabbing him with it. "I cause injuries, not heal them."

"Sorry," he mumbled. He stared in the distance and gritted his teeth together while she worked.

"Why do I need to hide my Mark?"

"No one has ever seen an eidolon for over…" he sat, trying to calculate, then gave up "a very, very long time now. Just imagine an entire city, the _world_ , reacting like I did when I found you."

Lightning refilled the water bottle and handed it to him. "Drink." While he did, she used a fire spell to reduce the bloodied cotton and his shirt to ash, letting it scatter in the breeze. "Is my existence that much of a fascination to you?" she asked. Years ago it had been the complete opposite.

Noctis finished drinking and offered it to her. She shook her head. He took a long draught, finishing it off. "More of a morbid fascination," he said finally, tossing the empty bottle back into the boot. "Put it this way: they would very enthusiastically try to take you apart to see what makes you tick…and then try to put you back together afterward."

" _Wonderful_."

"Sorry."

"I guess it's not so different from back then," Lightning remarked. She held a hand over his wounds. "Cure."

Green light flickered unsteadily under her palm and the l'cie suppressed a grimace. Her healing ability was still as horrendous as ever. _But at least they're closing_. If Noctis had a clever remark about it, he was smart enough to keep it to himself. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Cure spells had that effect.

"So they hunted you back then as well?"

Lightning nodded. "There was a human who came close, once." She peered at him closely. "You resemble him a great deal. But he was much more skilled. Dangerous, too." She found a fresh white linen shirt in a backpack sitting in the car's 'backseat'. She tried to give it to him, but he shook his head. His eyes were on her brand.

"Hiding that should be your first priority."

"What about you?"

"It's a hot day. And my cuts are closed...mostly anyway. I'll be fine for the most part."

She put it on and buttoned it up, noticing him give her an odd stare when she was done. "What is it now?"

The blush returned to his cheeks. "Nothing, it uh…I…nevermind," he cleared his throat, walking around her to shut the boot. "We'd uh, better get going."

"We should."

"We'll have to make a pit stop at my house first. I need to grab a few things, and I think you should get a change of clothes too."

"Very well," Lightning answered, hiding her discontent.

"Next, we're going to have to think up a story for you. People are bound to ask questions. It'll be much easier if no one knows you're... _you know_ " he said, gesturing to all of her.

She folded her arms, swallowing her pride. "What do you propose?"

"How about….bandits attacked and robbed you, and I found you unconscious in the woods."

"I...guess…" she said. She tensed as he took a step toward her, reaching into his pocket for a tiny vial filled with purple sand. "What now?"

"I found you unconscious in the woods, remember?" He pulled off the stopper and emptied some of the sand into his palm.

"I could just 'pretend', you know. What's in that? Get awa-"

Without any warning, he blew the sand into her face. Fatigue suddenly came over her, turning her limbs into lead. Her eyes went half-lidded and she fell forward. Noctis caught her. She glared at him weakly. "What did you…?" If she had any of her strength, she would have punched him in his perfect teeth. _Later_ , she promised herself.

The l'cie closed her eyes, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


End file.
